Be sure to report workplace injuries within 24 hours of learning of the injury. This helps everyone involved. It helps policyholders by keeping claims costs and, ultimately, premiums down. It helps injured workers by allowing claims adjusters to make faster rulings, getting them the medical care they need in order to return to work. It helps the company by knowing how to react and who the company needs to involve. Finally, it helps the workers' compensation system in general by cutting down on potential problems associated with unmanaged claims.

Avenues for policyholders to report claims are as follows:

Call in your claim directly to the company.

Complete an electronic claim form on company website.

Fax the First Report of Injury to the company.

Mail the First Report of Injury to the company.

Remember, injured workers should seek the fastest emergency care available. Once the emergency has been stabilized, and in the case of all non-emergency injuries, injured workers should seek additional medical care from healthcare providers who are participating members of the Procura medical network.

Stay In Control With Erie Rate LockSM

With prices rising on just about everything these days, wouldn't it be nice to have control over your auto insurance premium?

With Erie Rate LockSM, you can do exactly that. Lock in your rate and pay the same premium year after year.

How does it work? Simple. Your auto rate will remain the same until you do one of the following:

Add or remove a vehicle from your policy.

Add or remove a driver from your policy.

Change your primary residence.

Even if you have a claim, and even if the rates change across the country, your premium will stay the same!

So why not take control of your auto premium? Talk to one of our agents or customer service representatives to get started!

Life Insurance Trivia

There are many aspects to life insurance you may not be aware of, and you need to be!

Has your health improved since you first purchased life insurance?
If you've lost weight or made significant improvements in your health, talk to an Agent at Payne & Garlow. You may be able to qualify for lower rates! You can apply and have a Paramed exam at no cost to you!

Do you have a term life insurance policy that will run out?
Talk to us about converting your term insurance to permanent insurance that will be guaranteed to last your lifetime. We can guarantee the monthly payment and death benefit!

Is your Beneficiary up-to-date? Do you think a Will can override the beneficiary designation on your life policy?
It doesn't. Make sure the funds go to the appropriate party(ies).

Did you know you put your loved ones at risk if you fail to disclose something on your life insurance application?
The company can investigate whether you gave accurate information on your application. Death benefits can be delayed or denied.

Are you aware that 7 in 10 families with kids will have trouble paying their bills if the primary wage-earner dies without adequate life insurance?
That's a high number! Statistics show that Generation X needs nearly $450,000 more life insurance than they currently have. Do not delay and do not let your loved ones left behind come up short.

Circumstances are always changing so meet with a Payne & Garlow professional on a regular basis for a free review! Call today for an appointment!

Customer of the Month

There are meth busts on the news every single night, but have you ever wondered what happens to the house after the bust? That's when Affordable Cleanup LLC usually gets a frantic call from the homeowner. Jennifer McQuerrey Rhyne, Heath Barnett and Joe McQuerrey jump in the van and head to the house.

As the crew suits up in their steel-toed boots, full-face respirators, white Tyvek suits and nitrile gloves, they begin their discussion about what they might find inside the house. At a glance, it appears quite normal, but as they start taking things out, they discover needles, meth pipes, broken light bulbs and drug spoons.

Curious wide-eyed stares from the neighbors greet them as they emerge from the house and start loading the contents into the large green dumpster. As a passerby eyes the nice furniture that's being carried to the dumpster, Jennifer is thinking, "Seriously, don't you see the danger tape wrapped around the dumpster? Don't you see that we're wearing full HAZMAT suits? Are you crazy?" but what actually comes out of her mouth is, "Everything in this dumpster is contaminated with meth residue. If you remove anything, the state will require that YOUR house be tested and possibly remediated this same way". That usually stops them in their tracks. Ten hours later, once the last item is loaded into the dumpster, the crew collapses into the van to head to the hotel for the night.

They arrive the next morning at 8am to start the 4-day process of cleaning. Heath and Joe fill up the sprayers with various cleaners and begin the process of scrubbing the ceilings, walls and floors aggressively. As Jennifer finishes the tedious task of detailing the appliances, she joins in on the scrubbing. With sweat running down the inside of their masks and suits, they still manage to smile and joke through the next 4 days of cleaning.

When they finally load up the last scrub brush to start their drive back home, they begin their discussion about the town they're heading to the next week and all the fun things there are to do in that town. Then they laugh knowing that the job isn't going to allow for any free time to explore the town, but they're still going to smile and pretend anyway.